Newspapers / North Carolina School of … / Dec. 1, 2004, edition 1 / Page 5
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5 december 2004 head to head the stentorian I ncssm Honor Code Questions Answered Ying Liu expression of what our stu dents want this community to be.” Although NCSSM has lower cheating than other Although NCSSM stu dents are usually measuring the molarity of orange juice and scribbling math prob- Does the NCSSM honor code reflect the type of commurhonorably meant for students, Dr. Warshaw replied by saying that each will be a “member of a very special community where students act lems on nap kins in the PFM, recent discussion has centered around ethics and the honor code. EAG, the Ethical Awareness Group, regu larly holds discussions on ethical issues, and NCSSM also offers many ethics classes like Ethics and Leadership, and Medical Ethics. Although there are many different opin ions on ethics and the Honor Code, as seen in many heated discussions and ethics classes. Dr. Steve Warshaw is a firm supporter of the NCSSM Honor Code as well as student discussions of ethics through groups such as EAG. When asked why he thought the school needed an honor code. Dr. Warshaw referred to a quote by Don McCay, one of the foremost mi^S; PP.,,honor codes. He stated, “It you want at NCSSM? 14% schools, cheating still exists. The school has conducted three anonymous surveys since 1980 asking the question “Have you ever done some thing that teachers would con sider cheating?” and 63-64% of students answered yes. Dr. Warshaw believes that “working towards develop ing one [honor code] gets peo ple to think and discuss the issue and increases integrity.” He sees the honor code as a tool to start discussion of honor and ethics. This will lead to reduced cheating and a more honorable community, as and respect fully.” He talked of possibly hav ing unproc- t e r e d , unscheduled exams, being able to leave doors unlocked, and having other privi leges like late night snacks in the cafeteria. He believes that an honor code would give the school stature and students an edge in'®® followed the college appli cation process. He believes that the, “most special thing would be to be part of a unique community.” Although Dr. Warshaw is a firm supporter of an honor code, the actual development of the Honor Code was mostly done by EAG and students. Discussions talked to the SGA, and received input from students. Finally, a rough draft of the Honor Code was written. Late in the school year, EAG proceeded to poll students about the Honor Code draft. Two questions were asked. 1. Does this statement describe the kind of communi ty you would like NCSSM to be? 2. Do you think we should use'this statement to create that type of community at NCSSM? Faculty members were asked similar questions. The response was overwhelmingly in favor of the honor code. According to Dr. Warshaw, 97% of current sen iors voted yes for the first question and 86% voted yes for the second question. 84% of faculty said yes to question 1 the honor codesincethe beginning ofthe school year? 29% [honor code] makes schools more honest, and academic integrity is at a higher level.” However, Dr. Warshaw also stated that “a frequent dis cussion of issues is more effective than just an honor code in reduc ing cheating in a school.” He~ fully supports EAG and its role in the student body. Dr. Warshaw envi sions the honor code as “an Is an honor code an effective method of establishing an honorable and ethical student body? 54% 46% taYes ■ No well as recognizing the high standards already present in the community. When asked what this about an honor code began early last year as EAG began to question students about the subject. They held meetings. 71% and 81% said yes to question 2. According to Dr. Warshaw it was the overwhelming support shown in these surveys that lead to the implementation of the honor code. Although there was some confusion at Convocation with the passing of the Honor Code, Dr. Warshaw said that “There was a miscommunication between EAG and me and that EAG should not be blamed.” He “assumed that the poll was a vote by people who had an opportunity to vote.” He also added that there was an under standing that it could be modi fied by EAG and student sup port. However, there were still some vital questions that needed addressing. When asked to respond to the state ment “the honor code is the administration’s project,” Dr. Warshaw said that, “we [the administration] know full well that if we wrote it and handed it to everybody it wouldn’t mean anything.” He said that EAG is in its 4th year and is “totally in control of whether they want to develop an honor code and what it says.” Dr. Warshaw himself can only take credit for one phrase, and even that may have been altered. He maintains that the process was “100% student run.” Dr. Warshaw even admits that members of the administration don’t all agree on the idea of an honor code. He said that “everyone wants to see a community that is respectful with high standards, but how to get there is the problem.” When asked to respond to the allegation that the Honor Code was just a piece of paper and would not stop a person from cheating. Dr. Warshaw admitted that “if a person is inclined to cheat, it is unusual for a piece of paper to stop them.” He said that it was the opinions of peo ple whom they valued, personal values, and the tradi tion of an institution that stopped people from cheating. He maintains that it is a matter of respect, not a piece of paper. However, Dr. Warshaw believes that you can use a piece of paper to stir interest in the topic of ethics so that stu dents will talk and think about it. As for the future of the Honor Code, Dr. Warshaw believes it is “whatever the stu dents want to make it into.” He would like to “make integrity a matter of discussion. in the community.” He believes that an honor code is one way of doing this. He wants students to feel proud of this communi ty. He also believes that an honor council is feasible, “if that’s the direction that stu dents want to go.” oYes ■ No World AIDS Day Adam Preslar and Yolanda Fair AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is caused by the HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). This virus specifically targets CD4+ T Cells, which are responsible for the production of the antibodies a human’s body produces to fight the dis ease. Those with full-blown AIDS experience a marked decline in their total number of T Cells, leaving the victim vul nerable to viruses and micro scopic organisms as well as certain cancers. AIDS itself does not cause death, but it opens the door to everything else. The disease was named in 1984 after reports of a rare type of lung infection in cer tain homosexual communities in Los Angeles and New York. After the contraction of the HIV virus, one may go for 10 years before developing AIDS. Few people survive for five years after being diag nosed with AIDS. Generally, in order for a person to be test ed, blood must be drawn and tested for the presence of HIV antibodies. After becoming infected with the virus, the antibody level rise and level off as the virus attacks the anti body producing T cell. Eventually, however, the anti body levels begin to decline and the number of HIV viruses shoots upward signaling the decline of the individual. The magnitude of the world AIDS epidemic is absolutely staggering. As of December, 2004, the UNAIDS/WHOAIDS Epidemic Update estimates that 37.2 million adults and 2.2 million children are infected with HIV. 95% of these cases are in developing countries. 2004 also saw 2.3 million deaths from AIDS worldwide. With the numbers of AIDS patients increasing around the world, one of the much needed solutions is awareness of HIV and AIDS disease. December 1 was World AIDS Day, and many organizations were try ing to spread awareness about the disease. This year many of the campaigns focused on how females are affected by this disease. The number of women infected with HIV and AIDS are having increased signifi cantly, and now women make up over half of the infected population. In the United States, the day was observed in many states with marches, can dlelight vigils, and concerts. In Los Angeles, California, the Wall-Las Memorial, an AIDS monument, was completed. In Guam, a fashion show was pre sented in support of World AIDS day, and all proceeds from the show went to the MAC cosmetics World AIDS fund and GUAHAN project. NCSSM participated in World AIDS day during the week of November 29, and had many events put on by Spectrum, focusing on AIDS awareness. On Monday November 29th, there were guest speakers from Duke that talked about the knowledge of AIDS, and how it affects our society. On Wednesday, December 1st, there were red ribbons given out in support of World AIDS day, and there was also a World AIDS March at the Durham Amory that stu dents went to. On Thursday, a speaker from Planned Parenthood talked about STl (SexuallyTransmitted Infection) prevention, treat ment, and testing. On Friday December 3rd, Spectrum spon sored the movie. And the Band Played On. There was also a lock in, where students played games, ate food, and watched movies.
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